An Iranian tanker
seized by British authorities on Thursday had taken a detour
of thousands of miles around Africa in what could have been an
attempt to avoid scrutiny and sneak thousands of tons of crude
oil to Syria.

Authorities in the British territory of Gibraltar seized the
Grace 1 tanker on Thursday, saying they thought it was taking its
cargo to a government-owned oil refinery in Syria, an act that
would violate European Union sanctions.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press, tracking data
showed that the ship took an unusual route to the Mediterranean.

Leaving Iran, it traveled all the way around Africa before being
stopped at the Mediterranean's western entrance. Had it traveled
all the way to Syria, the journey would have been about 14,000
miles, according to the shipping-route website Sea Distances.